Play Time
by Izzu
Summary: Samurai Sentai Shinkenger: He never thought that the young Lord had these as a child. Ryunosuke-centric


az: Because some certain picture of Aiba and Tori as Ryunosuke and Takeru created one random crack image in my head that never let me go free until I write something. And because I couldn't find other fanfics on these two much...

Set around the time after the Kajiki episode.

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Disclaimers where it's due

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Play Time

by Izzu alias honou-no-izumi

o

o

The day had been quiet for some time. The training session that they usually have every morning had ended quite some time ago and there were no alarms yet on any Ayakashi attacks for the day. It seemed to promise a short sense of peace, he thought. Although, it had not really been a long time since that day when he had performed his last Kabuki performance before running out towards his Lord to fulfill his duties as an Ikenami clan member. Despite that, it felt like that peace that he used to have seemed like such a distant time.

Ryunosuke sighed. Why did he start thinking about this again? He admitted, he was still a bit homesick but not so badly now... after getting that pep talk from Mako weeks ago. But yet, why did he start feeling depressed again now? He sighed again as he started looking around the place. He wondered where the others had gone to after breakfast this morning. They must have gone to their rooms... or somewhere else around this big place.

Ryunosuke paused, before shaking his head on the thought that had just formed. Nah, he cannot just randomly enter anyone's room for no reason. Especially Tono's! What would he think about that? He shook his head again. What was he thinking...? It must have been this uncharacteristic quietness of the place. It was making him restless! He should find something to do during this free time. Training? Hmmm... but they just had that this morning. Reading... is there a place here where one can go and read?, thought Ryunosuke suddenly. But if there was... it must have been the Shiba Clan's archive. If it was like that, perhaps it would not be allowed for anyone to enter the place without permission first? Hmm...

What should he do? Is there anything else that he could do around here?

Ryunosuke continued walking aimlessly along the corridors as without noticing, he tripped over a big box in front of him. He hissed slightly as he patted his bottom that had started to hurt because of the fall.

Ryunosuke turned towards the box that had appeared out of nowhere. Just as he was about to say something, a Kuroko came out of a nearby room as he apologized to him for the accident. Ryunosuke waved the concerns away; it was not as if his butt hurt that much anyway. But something about the box still got his attention. He looked into it and was surprised at what he saw.

"Eh wait! Kuroko-san!" he cried suddenly, picking up one of the items from the box. "Who's these things belonged to? And what were you doing taking these out?" he asked as the Kuroko explained that those belonged to the young Lord when he was small and that they were just cleaning up the storeroom since it had been a while that the room had ever been cleaned. Ryunosuke just nodded as the Kuroko left again to resume his work. He shrugged to himself as he took out another of similar object from the box. Holding both of the things, Ryunosuke smiled. Just as he had been thinking of home...

He never thought that Tono would have these things as a child though. Small dolls fashioned based on figures from Japanese old folktales, although it was not really similar; it reminded him of the costumes that he used to wear when he had performed in his Kabuki acts. He smiled again.

Ryunosuke cast a glance all around him to make sure no one were looking as he started positioning the two dolls. Softly, he started humming a song as he reenacted a scene from a Kabuki play that he had once taken part. The Kuroko that had been working back and forth from the other room paused to watch him, before resuming their task to clean up the room. Ryunosuke had been minding his own musings so much, that he had not noticed someone else approaching him from behind.

Takeru looked over Ryunosuke's head as he wondered what was he been doing in the middle of the corridor.

"What're you doing, Ryunosuke?" he asked as Ryunosuke jumped in surprise and scurried a few feet from him. His face immediately turned red.

"D-doing? I-I... NOTHING! Nothing at all!", cried Ryunosuke as he hid the dolls behind his back.

Takeru raised his brows at him before sneaking up behind him to grab the things he had been hiding. Ryunosuke gave a loud cry as Takeru stared in amusement at the old dolls that he was now holding. Realizing that he was not getting any punishment, nor any hits on his head, Ryunosuke lowered his arm which he had raised in defense to see Takeru smiling. Curious, he crept closer to the young lord's side. Takeru chuckled.

"It's been a while... so what you've been doing with these?" Takeru asked as Ryunosuke looked away in embarrassment.

"Nothing. Well, seeing the dolls... kind of bring about some memories. That's all." said Ryunosuke as he stuttered. Takeru snorted.

"So you pretended to have a miniature Kabuki play... huh?" said Takeru as Ryunosuke jumped again.

"No, no! It's not like that!" he cried as Ryunosuke's face turned even redder. Takeru grinned as he kept his attention towards the dolls.

"How boring. If you had an audience, it might have been enjoyable. But playing by yourself—Here!" Takeru suddenly threw one of the dolls towards Ryunosuke as the other looked at him in surprise. Without saying anything, Takeru picked up the other doll and moved its arms towards Ryunosuke.

"Stop right there! Gedoshu!" he started to speak with a high voice. "—I'm not going to let you rampaging and causing destruction all over!", said Takeru again as he started moving the doll accordingly. He looked up towards Ryunosuke and grinned before the other also did the same.

"No one's telling me what to do! Who are you, daring to oppose me?" said Ryunosuke in return as he moved his doll towards Takeru.

Takeru moved the doll into a stance before continuing.

"I'm one of the Shinkenger!", he said before making the doll drew the "Water" kanji before it and flipped it over; pretending that the doll had transformed. He even added some silly sound effects to go with it.

Literally amusing himself with this charade, Takeru made the doll strike a pose as he said, "I'm Shinken Blue! Ikenami Ryunosuke!"

Ryunosuke laughed.

"Tono... but why are you using my name? Why didn't you—eh! I didn't act so much like that! Tono—" he started to say before Takeru hissed at him.

"How dare you capture my Lord! I, Shinken Blue will defeat you!" Takeru continued as Ryunosuke sighed before following suit with his 'Gedoshu' doll and mock fight between themselves. Ryunosuke picked up a piece of paper from a paper stack that one of the Kuroko happened to put beside the toy box and started folding the paper into a frog origami as he shoved it towards Takeru. "No way, loathsome Shinkenger! Before I give up my hostage, I'll take your life first! Frog monster, attack Shinken Blue!" exclaimed Ryunosuke as the Lion Origami suddenly toss the paper origami aside.

Surprised, Ryunosuke gasped.

"Tono! That's cheatin—aah!" he cried as the doll Takeru had been holding started hitting him. Or more like Takeru hitting him with the doll. Both of them started hitting each other with the dolls as from a distance, they heard sounds of approaching people...

xxx

Kotoha started to laugh at Mako as they chatted about some little things before pausing before a stack of things in the middle of the corridors.

"What are these?" Mako said aloud as one Kuroko continued sweeping the dusts out of the store room while some others started picking up the things left outside and rearranging the boxes and other things inside the room neatly. Both of the girls peeked into the room before leaving towards the direction they have come from after finding nothing of interest.

From the room right next to the storeroom, the sliding door suddenly opened a little...

xxx

Takeru heaved a sigh of relief as he leaned on the wall.

"That was close..." Takeru barely said it aloud as Ryunosuke eyed him from his side.

It has only been a while but somehow the young lord often surprised him with moments like this, whenever he was not acting the way he always did in front of the others. Sometimes distant, sometimes friendly... he wondered what the young lord was truly inside. But at least, he knew one thing. That Lord Takeru was a kind young man. He had always noticed it before, ever since he realized that Takeru was not what he seemed to be during the second battle they have fought. Or that time when he was supposed to recapture the Kajiki Origami...

_Tono was indeed a great Lord..._

Takeru gave Ryunosuke a questioning look.

"What're you staring at me like that for?" he asked as Ryunosuke shook his head quickly. Takeru shrugged.

"Keep this to yourself..." he said again as he started playing with his Lion Origami. Ryunosuke started to smile as Takeru hit him on the head. Ryunosuke winced before another thought came up into his mind.

"Then again, Tono... what were you doing here at the first place?" Ryunosuke asked as Takeru hit him again with his doll...

[END]


End file.
